


Wanted and Unwanted Guests

by SubtextEquals



Series: Welcome to the Family [3]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 11:12:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3118082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SubtextEquals/pseuds/SubtextEquals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nasir has been living with Agron for three months. Everything goes smoothly until a call from Nasir's ex, Castus. To make matters worse, Duro loses his job. While the three struggle to support themselves, Nasir has to decide whether or not to take help from the one person he can't stand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wanted and Unwanted Guests

Nasir hadn’t bought a new laptop since he’d dropped the one he had around three months ago, the night he and Agron got together. It had a crack in the case but the hard drive was fine. He could type and he could see. So he managed.

He’d landed a part time job at yet another shitty retail store. It wasn’t enough that he could move out of Agron and Duro’s apartment. But, given the fact that he was sleeping in bed with Agron every night, he didn’t mind. He did wish he could chip in more. With that in mind, he was not in the best of moods, even though he had the day off and was spending it taking a hot bath to soothe his feet.

He must have dozed because when he woke, the water was cool and Agron was calling for him.

“Sorry, in the bath!” Nasir shouted back. He must have been out for a while for Agron to be back from work but then Nasir had spent his day filling out job applications and tweaking his resume for each one. When they bothered to ask for it.

He quickly pulled the plug from the drain and stood, grabbing a towel to dry himself off before Agron got inside, as Nasir knew he would. As it turned out, he had just finished wiping off the water from his hair and chest when his boyfriend opened the door and grinned at him after a noticeable once over.

Nasir didn’t even bother covering himself as he started to run his towel over the rest of his body but after a few steps, Agron took it from him. He bent down and Nasir rolled his weight onto the tips of his toes so he could meet the kiss. Agron’s fingers found Nasir’s damp hair, weaving between the locks.

“Tired?” Nasir asked between kisses.

“Yeah,” Agron answered but exhaustion didn’t stop him from biting and pulling Nasir’s lower lip. “I still want this,” he said before diving back in.

“Here?” Nasir finally had the chance to speak when Agron went for his neck.

“Why not?” Agron hiked Nasir’s leg up and around his waist.

What followed was not more work but only pleasure.

 

Agron had gone to grab something to eat. As for Nasir, after cleaning up, he needed some rest.

He had set his phone on the nightstand earlier and he fumbled with it now to set an alarm for an hour later in case he didn’t wake up before. Then he stretched out on his and Agron’s bed and closed his eyes. He was just about to drift off when the phone played not an alarm but a ringtone.

Even as his lips drew into a frown and he bit back a grumble, he reached for the phone.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

At the sound of that voice, Nasir shot up and onto his feet. Whatever sleepiness remained with him was gone.

“Castus,” he hissed. “What the _fuck._ ”

“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you sooner.”

“It’s been a fucking year!”

“You changed your number.”

“Because I didn’t want to talk to you, you fucking ass--” Nasir took a breath.

“Nasir--” Castus started in the same calm, deceivingly patient, and fucking smooth tone he’d always used on him.

“Don’t say you’re sorry again,” Nasir snapped. He rubbed his temple with his free hand. “God, Castus what-- why are you calling?”

“I heard you were stabbed.” This time there was concern in his voice as well.

“Stabbed? Are you kidding me? That was over a year ago!” Nasir’s voice rose beyond his control.

“In my defense--”

“Shut up and fuck off.”

“Nasir.”

Once again, Nasir cut him off before he could continue. “What do you want?”

“I want to talk.”

“I think I made it clear I don’t.”

“I want to help--”

Nasir couldn’t make out the rest of it as he jerked the phone away from his ear and ended the call. Still shaking, he stared at the screen for several moments before throwing it back onto the nightstand. He could scarcely breathe and each breath couldn’t sustain him. His heavy pants meant he didn’t hear the door open fully or someone stepping into the room until he laid his hand on Nasir’s shoulder, causing him to jump.

He relaxed by a fraction as soon as he saw who it was. “Agron.”

Agron’s mood reflected Nasir’s. His expression was stony, with his lips pressed and the muscles around his eyes tight.

“That was Castus?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“That son of a bitch.”

Agron walked around Nasir and for the phone. Just as his hand reached for it, Nasir grabbed him.

“Don’t,” he said. “You don’t have to.”

“I fucking want to!” Agron snarled.

Nasir had to slip between him and the phone. “Please.” He wasn’t begging. It was just a request.

Honestly, he was half tempted to let Agron just take the phone, call his ex, and tear into him. But that wouldn’t help anything. It might get Castus to back off or make him more determined. And he knew it would only work up Agron even more.

He wished he didn’t have to be the rational one right now. He didn’t have it in him.

“I’ve wanted to tell that fucking asshole what he is since you told me about him.” Agron didn’t back down and, while Nasir had never been and still wasn’t intimidated by him, he recognized the fury in his boyfriend’s eyes.

Which was why he let go of his arm. Fuck reason.

Castus answered quickly. Whether he expected a cooler reception this time or not, he was going to be surprised. The depths of Agron’s anger broke his previous record. Nasir hadn’t seen him like this. He actually felt a twinge of regret and sympathy for his ex at the curses Agron unleashed-- at least until he remembered what had happened.

Nasir took a seat on the bed and waited for Agron to stop. Eventually his boyfriend’s pauses for breath became more apparent, more pronounced, and presumably that was when Castus was able to get a word in or at least that was heard.

“Yes, I fucking do!” Agron answered.

Another pause during which Nasir couldn’t make out Castus’s words.

“Fuck you!” He ended the conversation with that one last shout and he, like Nasir, threw the phone. This time it bounced off the wall. He fell back onto the bed, clutching the side of the mattress, now seething inwardly. So was Nasir but he was also unsettled. It wasn’t enough to keep him from pressing close to Agron. He rested his chin on Agron’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Nasir had to shift so Agron could look at him, anger slowly fading. Nasir wanted it gone from both of them so he leaned forward to press their lips together.

But as soon as Agron started to reach for him, Duro interrupted.

“Agron, what the fuck is wrong with--”

Nasir broke away from Agron in time to see Duro’s face shift from anger to confusion.

“So you weren’t yelling at him?” Duro asked, eyes darting between the two lovers.

“What the fuck?” Agron’s hadn’t gotten control over his voice yet. It was still louder than it should be. “No!”

“Then who--” Duro looked around the room and saw the phone. “Alright, who called and pissed Nasir off?”

Agron glanced at Nasir, who looked away.

“Not any of your business.” Agron laid his hand on Nasir’s thigh to rub it idly.

Nasir looked back at Duro. “Castus.”

Duro made a soft “ohhh” sound.

“Yeah,” Nasir answered as Agron squeezed his leg a little too tightly.

“Why the fuck did he call you?”

Agron released Nasir’s thigh and turned to look straight at Nasir.

Pinned by two brothers’ gazes, Nasir didn’t have a choice in the matter although he wouldn’t have held back anyway. “He found out I was stabbed and called to apologize for not talking to me sooner. He wanted to make up for it.” He wasn’t entirely sure on that last part since he’d cut Castus off in mid sentence.

Agron snorted.

“The little fuckhole,” Duro swore.

There was a day, over a year ago, when Nasir thought he swore a lot. He was mistaken.

“Yeah,” he said. “I know.”

“Block his number,” Duro said, proving that he sometimes had more common sense than Agron.

“I was going to,” Nasir lied.

He pulled away from Agron to grab his phone, which had taken being hurled around thanks to its casing, and pulled up the number. He hesitated for a moment before blocking it. When he turned back to Agron, his slightly narrowed eyes and once again hardened face indicated that moment of indecision hadn’t escaped him.

“I’ll go see Spartacus or Chadara or-- someone.” Duro backed out of the room.

Agron didn’t say anything so Nasir took the initiative.

“Alright.”

Duro closed the door behind him. Even though Nasir reclaimed his seat beside him, Agron was a boiling cauldron ready to be upturned over a castle wall and onto unsuspecting victims.

“Agron--” Nasir started. His fingers curled around his lover’s neck.

Agron tackled him back onto the bed. His hands were planted by Nasir’s sides and one slipped beneath him as he gave him a kiss him, so unlike the soft one that Nasir had given him minutes earlier. There was no hesitation now as Nasir returned the kiss, wanting the same thing, to forget everything that had just happened.

“I love you.” Agron brushed Nasir’s hair back, which was still faintly damp from the resulting shower after they had sex.

He pushed Nasir’s shirt up and let his hand slip beneath it. His fingers quickly traced up Nasir’s side and ran over his scar, now covered in a tattoo that spiraled across his chest and stomach. The tattoo made Nasir feel less self-conscious, and the hand tracing over his skin made him feel elation.

That was something that Castus had never and would never do. The fleeting thought occurred to him but all memory of his ex boyfriend fled when Agron pulled Nasir’s shirt over his head before he kissed down his chest to his stomach. He unzipped Nasir’s jeans and jerked them down.

Nasir’s hips rose to help him take those off, followed by his boxers. He reached for Agron’s shirt to pull him up, then remove it, but as soon as he gripped the fabric Agron made it clear he had another idea.

He took Nasir’s cock in his hand and in the next moment he had his mouth around him, taking him in almost down to the base of his cock.

“God, Agron.” Nasir groaned as his neck craned back and his head pressed farther into the mattress.

He switched from grasping Agron’s shirt to his hair, gripping tight but it didn’t stop Agron. If anything it made him go faster, sucking Nasir off with a relish they hadn’t experienced before. All exhaustion had left them and been replaced by a darker need.

Nasir arched his hips to rise up and press deeper into Agron’s mouth. Agron adjusted, moving with smoothness, skill, and experience as Nasir fucked him. Nasir’s legs pressed against his lover, who responded by grabbing one and moving it over his shoulder. Nasir’s toes curled against Agron’s back as he felt the pull, the tension and pleasure that came before release.

“Not yet.” The words came out in a shallow breath.

At once, Agron pulled away and kissed Nasir’s inner thigh, then his hip, stomach, the pattern on his chest.

“Want me to fuck you?” he murmured against Nasir’s flesh before taking it between his teeth and pulling.

“So hard I’m sore tomorrow,” Nasir answered. He was already shifting so he could reach for the lube in the nightstand.

He had to slip away from Agron and onto his knees but that only brought them closer as Agron followed, grabbed his hips, and ground his cock against his ass.

“Fuck,” Nasir swore.

For a moment he forgot all about the lube as he pushed back for seconds, minutes, breathing out in small gasps and hisses. When he came back to himself he scrambled to grab the lube and reach back to hand it to Agron, who wasted no time and curled his palm around Nasir’s cock to stroke him. Nasir lost track of time as Agron eased his fingers inside him, too distracted by the sensation spreading over him.

Nasir was begging, pleading, but he didn’t hear the words. He wanted more and when he came, hard and jerking into Agron’s hand, it still wasn’t enough until Agron had pressed inside him.

Nasir winced but it soon faded as Agron waited until his body became accustomed. But from there on out he gave him no mercy. His hands gripped Nasir’s hips as he thrust into him, barely even setting a pace, both of them lost in each other’s bodies. Agron’s fingers dug in and left scratches and welts behind as he dragged his nails across Nasir’s body. One hand snaked up to touch his stomach, trailing down but avoiding his cock. It was too soon but Nasir’s pleasure was no less acute. Agron’s hand burned a trail across his flesh.

“Nasir…” Agron groaned before pressing his hand to the bed and bending over Nasir to bite his shoulder before licking up to his neck. He had to still his hips more to do it but that only drove Nasir wilder as he thrust back.

Agron grabbed Nasir and brought him back against his chest as he fell back onto the bed. Sitting with him, he bucked his hips up. Nasir grabbed one of Agron’s hands to guide it back to his cock, hard again now, and it didn’t take long before Agron brought him off. This time Agron followed him, his lips and tongue finding Nasir’s neck and muffling his groan.

From there they both collapsed but neither of them were grinning as usual. A stifling silence followed that Nasir didn’t dare to break. Agron, however, did.

“Better now?”

“God, yes. You?”

“I’m going to fuck you again soon.” Agron’s voice was as rough as it had been before he had claimed Nasir.

Not better then, Nasir amended his thoughts.

“As many times as you want,” he told his boyfriend.

But neither of them moved to fill Agron’s desire. Instead Nasir moved to lie on his side with Agron’s arm firmly around him. Agron closed his eyes as if in sleep but his breathing was still heavy and his hand periodically clenched.

“Forget about him,” Nasir said.

“You should too,” was Agron’s stiff reply.

Nasir propped himself up. “What?”

“You’re still tense.”

“So are you.”

“Yeah, but we know why I am. What is it for you?”

Nasir sighed in response. He took a minute before he found the words to speak. “Have you ever had that ex? The one that gets under your skin and thinking about him makes you furious?”

Agron eased a bit. His hand at least was soothing Nasir’s side. Fingers ran over bare skin. “No, but I haven’t dated many people. But I can imagine.”

“That is what Castus is to me.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Nasir sank back down onto Agron’s chest.

“You’ve barely said anything about him in over a year.” Agron didn’t need to point that out for Nasir. That had been an intentional act.

“There’s not much to say. I didn’t make the right friends.”

“Or the right boyfriend,” Agron commented. He continued to rub Nasir’s torso.

But Nasir had stopped responding. His relationship with Castus-- it hadn’t all been bad. It had been great, really, except for the arguments, except for the one thing that brought it all to a breaking point.

“Nasir?” Jealousy was a streak that ran in Agron’s family, if his and Duro’s reactions to things were anything to go by, and it was certainly rearing its head now.

“No, not the right boyfriend.” In the end he regretted being with Castus. He didn’t even want to see him now. And in the end he had so much more chemistry and compatibility with Agron, not to mention love. How could he have any other answer?

Nasir kissed Agron’s throat.

“Why did you break up?”

That, Nasir thought, Agron must have been dying to ask for a while now.

“He embezzled money, refused to stop, and wasn’t sorry about it. I didn’t want to be with someone like that.”

“He--”

Nasir looked up in time to see Agron’s brow furrow.

“What?” Agron continued.

“He was high up in the company. He could get away with it, I guess he still has, but when I found out it wasn’t something I could live with.” Maybe if he hadn’t been living off of the money it would have been different but with Castus putting a roof over his head and paying most of the bills by taking advantage of people like Nasir, stuck working at one of those companies…

No, he didn’t imagine it would be different at all. He was rougher around the edges then but still had his own sense of morality.

“High up?” Agron’s eyes narrowed. “How high up?”

“Agron.” Nasir moved to get on top of his lover and hold the man’s face in his hands. “Don’t compare yourself to him.”

Agron’s arm had followed along with Nasir and it tightened around him to bring him closer. “I’m not.”

“Good. You win anyway.”

Agron smiled as one of his legs curled around Nasir’s. “I do?”

“It’s no contest. You crushed him. There’s nothing but bits of him left.”

“You have no idea how much that turns me on.” Agron wove his fingers in Nasir’s hair to bring him in close for a kiss. He didn’t let go of him for a long time.

Any more of Castus’s calls went unnoticed.

 

Nasir didn’t think much of Castus for a few days. That was a lie. He thought about him a lot, but then Agron would swoop in and sometimes literally lift him off the ground-- usually to drag him to bed. After that, any brooding waited until another day.

He was confident that in a few more days he’d forget about the incident entirely. He did when Duro came home from work early, slammed the door shut behind him, and stormed into the room. Nasir knew with near certainty what had happened as he had done the same three months ago.

“The fucking cocksucking assholes fired me!” Duro yelled as he kicked at the wall.

Nasir had to get up to hold him back before he punched it. It took some coaxing and in the end a lot of not so gentle pushing to get Duro onto the couch. He was used to dealing with the temperamental German brothers but it was trickier with this one when he couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) calm him with a soft touch and a kiss.

“What happened?”

Duro ran a hand through his unkempt hair. “I was let go. Downsizing. Motherfucking…”

Nasir let him swear to his heart’s content as he quietly assessed the damage from this. Duro was out of a job. Nasir was part time, losing hours, and his own searches were fruitless. Agron was the only one with a full time job now and it didn’t pay enough to cover their rent.

They were screwed.

As soon as Agron heard, he did what big brothers do. He swore vengeance on Duro’s employers before brushing past him to look at their finances now. After a while he came to a conclusion.

“We can only stay for a few months.”

Nasir closed his eyes. Not again. He knew from experience that, unless they were lucky, finding a job was possibly going to take longer than that.

None of them spoke for a while, then Duro opened his mouth.

“Does this mean we’re living with our parents again?

Agron rolled his eyes. “Jesus fuck, Duro.” He and Nasir exchanged a look.

“Probably,” Nasir answered.

 

One month passed and the situation had gnawed away at Nasir. Duro had a few interviews but no luck. Nasir knew of a solution, one last resort that didn’t involve getting kicked out of his apartment and couch surfing with his friends. Whatever Agron said, that was a surety. Agron’s parents wouldn’t want him living there. He was some strange guy who’d been dating their son for four months.

Agron, however, was sure it would work. Now that the deadline was two months off, he decided to bring Nasir over to his parents’ to meet them. Though an introduction by the way of passing inspection to move into their house was not exactly what Nasir imagined either side wanted.

But first they had to leave.

”You really don’t think your parents will mind?” Nasir had tried not to ask the question too much in the days following up to this.

“Of course they won’t.” Agron upturned the couch cushions in search of his keys.

“How long have we been dating?” Nasir asked.

“How long have we known each other?” His boyfriend countered.

“You asked them to let us fuck each other under their roof.”

“Hm, you know when you put it that way, it does sound--”

Nasir heard a jingle as Agron moved and walked over to him. Agron turned as Nasir reached in his pocket and pulled out his keys.

“Fucking seriously!” Agron took the keys from them, stared at him a moment, then shook his head.

“Stress,” Nasir told him.

“Yeah, it’d better be that.” He closed his fingers around his keys, then looked up at Nasir. “Listen, it’s alright. They’re going to love you. Hell, I’ll be surprised if they don’t adopt you.” He bent down and gave Nasir a soft kiss.

“That position is open.” Nasir made an attempt to put some brightness into his voice but it came out flat.

“Don’t tell them that, then they really will.” Agron took his hand. “Let’s go.”

 

In the wake of that meeting, Nasir was restless, even days after the fact. It wasn’t that he hadn’t gotten along with Agron’s parents. In fact, his boyfriend was right. They seemed enchanted by him. Nasir hadn’t felt as loved by a family since… well, in a long time. That only heightened his reservations. It wasn’t fair to leech off of them, not when he had no real ties to them.

Nasir sat on the floor, his back against the bed, curled up as though that could hide him. The phone rested in his hand. The number had been staring at him, or rather he at it, for going on ten minutes now. Each time he'd made up his mind to call, the response was the same. He would hover his finger over the button, think about Agron, and draw back.

"God damn it." He let his phone fall out of his hand and onto the floor.

There was a solution. Castus could help him so easily.

Agron would be furious if he found out. But if it kept them here, in this apartment, supporting themselves, then Nasir would have to take that chance.

He picked up the phone again and, pressing his lips together, he called.

Three rings later he heard the voice that set him on edge, despite the coolness of it.

“Hello, Nasir.”

“Castus.”

“I hear you have a new boyfriend.” There was no bitterness in Castus’s tone and somehow that made it worse.

“Yeah, he’s protective of me.” _And great to me. And far better than you ever were._ Nasir couldn’t say that though.

“I noticed.” There was finally some emotion other than the cheerfulness that Castus so often possessed-- a fleeting tightness to his voice that only Nasir had been able to recognize.

Instead of continuing, Nasir ignored whatever thoughts started to rise to the surface. “Do you really want to make it up to me?”

Castus answered immediately. “Yes.”

“Then I need you to get me a job.”

 

Nasir had never lied to Agron before. He didn’t keep anything from him either, which Agron made easier by backing off once it was clear he’d hit an uncomfortable subject. He respected Nasir. Which made what Nasir was doing even worse.

There wasn’t anything wrong with exchanging emails, Nasir told himself, as long as they kept it professional. Trouble was, Castus kept trying to sneak in other comments and questions. It was innocent enough. He was trying to see how Nasir was doing.

Nasir ignored those attempts.

Castus directed him to some applications, said he’d put in a good word, and Nasir was happy to leave it at that. Unfortunately he literally did leave, at least his laptop, when Duro called for help once the shower broke. Again.

Nasir really wished one of them had learned how to deal with plumbing after the first time the shower started spraying water everywhere. Instead Nasir was desperately trying to do damage control while Duro called their landlord.

Duro yelled back to Nasir when he was done. “We’re going to have to pay for this what kind of shit--”

“Just use my laptop to find someone!” Nasir had rapidly run out of towels and resigned himself to being soaking wet trying to shut the damn thing off.

But he didn’t have long to worry about that before he heard Duro shout.

“Why the fuck are you emailing Castus?”

And then he heard the front door slam shut as Agron returned from work just in time to hear that question.

Nasir froze. He’d left open his account and had just finished reading Castus’s last email, which included some more questions about how he was doing and--

Oh, fuck.

He heard Agron storm back to their room before he could so much as move his legs.

“Agron, wait!”

Nasir tried to intercept him in the hall but he only reached him in time to grip his arm, which Agron pulled free of without pause.

“The only reason I talked to him was because-- Agron!”

With a speed that amazed Nasir, Agron reached the laptop and scanned the incriminating email.

Nasir only hoped he would see that this was a reasonable, entirely unintimate exchange of information. Still, he was a little desperate in his explanation. “I talked to him so he could find me a full time job and not this shit one. That’s the only reason.”

Agron looked away from the laptop. “A fucking job?”

Duro backed away from the two of them and glanced at the door.

Nasir took a breath to calm himself. “I need one. _We_ need one, Agron. We can’t keep living day by day and--”

“I don’t need anything that shit has to give!” Agron threw his arm out as if he were sweeping an invisible object onto the floor and Nasir fully believed he longed to take something in his hands and smash it.

“With one full time job and a part time one between the three of us?” Nasir asked.

“We can move in with--”

Nasir shook his head.

“My parents,” Agron finished.

“Agron, please. Castus is just trying to--”

Duro made for the door while Agron went to the laptop.

“‘I’ve missed talking to you, Nasir. Let me know if I can help you any more. I would like to know more of how you’re doing and see you again.’” He turned back to his boyfriend. “ _Again?_ ”

“He meant since last year. I haven’t seen him. Look.” Nasir pointed at the screen. “Look back at the past emails. You’ll see he says things like that, asks questions, and I ignore him.”

Agron looked at him for a moment, then placed his hands on the laptop’s mouse pad to check the rest of the conversation. Nasir gave him a moment to skim and confirm. He tried not to acknowledge the twinge he felt that Agron didn’t believe him without proof. Anyone would have done that.

Agron took a step back. “I’m sorry.”

Nasir breathed easier at those words. “You don’t have to apologize. I should have told you.”

“You shouldn’t have done it.” Agron closed the laptop. “And you’re not going to take any of those jobs.”

“Do you think I want to be stuck in retail for the rest of my life?” Nasir’s voice turned harsh. “If I get an interview, I’m going. If I get a job offer I’m taking it. You can’t tell me not to.”

As he was so good at doing, Duro interrupted them. “Ass gays, we’re still having a problem!”

Nasir made a face. “Ass gays?”

“He’s stressed.” Agron walked to the door. “Who the fuck isn’t these days.”

 

Agron said he believed Nasir. He said he knew that he’d done nothing with Castus. But he still insisted on sleeping on the couch that night. Knowing how uncomfortable it was, Nasir did what he could but in the end Nasir lay in bed and Agron was not with him. It was surprising how quickly one could get used to curling up next to someone, how after only four months you could miss the warmth that enveloped you.

Or maybe four months wasn’t that short a time at all.

After half an hour of lying too cold despite being bundled in his blanket, Nasir got up. He padded over to the living room, where he saw Agron lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn’t even bothered to turn off the lights.

“You have work tomorrow,” Nasir reminded him. He leaned against the wall and stifled his yawn.

“Yeah, I know.” Agron’s voice was distant and he glanced back up at the ceiling before looking back at Nasir. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and patted the space he’d made behind him. “Come here.”

It didn’t take long for Nasir to find his place beside Agron, who quickly got his arm around him to pull him close.

“Are you still mad?”

“At you? No.” Agron spoke quietly but then his voice turned harder. “I’m mad at Castus.”

“He’s not--” Nasir caught himself before he said something to inflame Agron’s jealousy. “He does this with guys. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“So he’s just a flirtatious asshole who hits on taken guys?”

“Well…” Nasir trailed off. “Yeah, he is.”

“You had bad taste.”

“God, I know.”

Agron kissed Nasir’s head before pulling the man’s body onto his lap.

“I won’t talk to him again after this,” Nasir promised.

Agron dragged his fingers through Nasir’s hair. “If you do, call me if he tries anything. There are some more things I have to say to him.”

Nasir reached back to rest his hand on Agron’s neck. “I will.” He closed his eyes for a moment and only now could he find himself starting to drift off. “Come back to bed?”

“Yeah.”

Agron’s hands went to Nasir’s waist to guide him off of him. But it wasn’t long before their bodies were pressed together, this time curled up in bed, warm and together.

 

Nasir got his first job interview three days later. Two days after that he put in his two weeks notice with his current job. He probably should have been more grateful in the email he sent to Castus, and he was, but everything that had happened and Agron’s jealousy tempered his reaction.

_You might have heard but I got a job. Thank you for all our help, Castus._

He paused, not entirely sure of what to write next since sending it now just seemed cheap.

_I wish things hadn’t happened the way they did. Maybe later we can talk._

Before he thought better of it, he sent it. What he meant by that was he wished they did break up but not in the terrible ‘never talk for a year’ break up they had. Not, for instance, how it probably would be taken instead.

He didn’t respond to Castus’s reply. Overall, he did a much better job at putting his ex’s involvement from his mind than Agron did. Duro was giving them both a wide berth, determined not to get involved in this tension, at least not after sticking his mouth in his foot several times until Agron threatened to throw him out a window.

But Nasir had made up his mind. And while there were arguments, sometimes ending in sex, sometimes with someone sleeping for part of the night on the couch, they became less frequent. Finally, Nasir started his work at the Cilicia Company.

Agron didn’t say anything the morning Nasir started but it was clear from the look on his face as he gazed at Nasir from across the table. He still managed to communicate without words. “I don’t like this.”

Nasir could give him his normal reassurances. He could say that after six months he’d look for a job without Castus’s help. That it’d be easier now that he had some job history in that area (he hoped, God he hoped). That Castus was now out of the picture entirely and he didn’t have to talk to him again. And, most importantly, that Agron had no control over him. His boyfriend respected that last one.

But what Nasir did was put his plate and glass away before moving back to kiss Agron’s forehead, not a usual occurrence for the two of them.

“I’ll be back at five,” he said.

“I know.”

“I love you.” Nasir rubbed Agron’s shoulder.

Agron brushed him off but then moved to stand and grabbed Nasir’s arm to pull him close. “I love you, too.” The kiss he gave Nasir was brief but hard. “Good luck.”

Nasir smiled. “Thanks.”

 

Nasir had settled in alright in his job. There was a lot to learn with training but it was nice not to be on his feet for the entire day. Sitting at a desk waiting for phone calls while tending data and emails was not bad. He wasn’t so sure about his boss, Heracleo though. He popped in and seemed overly familiar with him, like he knew everything about him.

Nasir had a hunch who was to blame and his fears were confirmed as he was getting ready to have lunch.

“Ah, Nasir.”

He froze at the sound of Castus’s voice.

Fuck, he should have known.

He turned and saw that familiar face, the smile planted on it, the way the man fucking held himself. Nasir knew everything. And, judging by the way Castus’s smile faltered, he did a poor job at hiding his disgust at it.

“You’re here.” Nasir didn’t bother keeping the anger from lacing his voice, twisting it into something bitter and dark.

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you but I knew how badly you needed the job. Knowing only would have made you turn it down, wouldn’t it?”

“You don’t even-- you left your other job? Did they catch--”

Castus waved his hand to silence Nasir and looked around. “No, I left on my own.” He lowered his voice. “I took care of everything.”

“That’s good to know,” Nasir said dryly. He glanced at the people leaving, though Heracleo lingered, eyeing the two of them.

Well, now Nasir knew why Heracleo had acted so familiar around him. Castus had probably told him all about him. But not the reason they broke up. Not the real one.

“After you left, I listened to what you said. You were right.” Castus was losing the calm in his voice, turning sympathetic, almost guilty.

Nasir didn’t buy it.

Castus placed his hands on Nasir’s desk to lean against it. Nasir glared at his hands until Castus pulled them away.

“So what you’re saying is you’ve changed?” Nasir asked.

“You could say that, yes.”

“It’s too late for that.” Nasir’s face tightened at the thought of going back home after this. “Do you know what position you’ve put me in?” He nearly hissed.

“Your boyfriend doesn’t seem like an amazing person anyway.”

Nasir felt his whole body flush as his face reddened and eyes turned sharp. “He loves me. He cares about me. And he doesn’t do anything as stupid as you. Get me fired or go away.”

Castus took a step back and held up his hands. “Nasir--”

“Go.”

Castus nodded, only now deferential, before turning and leaving.

Nasir pressed his face to his shaking hands before he formed fists. He forgot all about lunch.

 

The moment he walked in the door, Nasir knew immediately that Agron could tell something had happened. He wasn’t surprised. His boyfriend must have been able to read it in his slouch and the way he averted his eyes, not to mention the tension running through his body. Every muscle was stretched taut.

“What happened?”

As Nasir raised his eyes he saw Duro peek out at them from the hall before stepping out, evidently deeming the situation safe when it was far from it.

“Bad day?” he asked as a follow up to Agron’s question. Agron, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Nasir.

The guilt crept into Nasir’s voice-- at what he’d done, at being so stupid as to take Castus’s help and believe it was no strings attached. “Castus works there.”

What followed next was a flurry of motion and a volley of curses. Agron sprang for the the nearest wall to slam his fist into. Duro barely got to him in time to hold him back as Agron struggled against him.

“Stop it, you stupid fuck!” Duro yelled.

“Agron,” Nasir hurried over to him to lay a hand on his arm. “It’s all right. Nothing happened. I’ll find a new job after a few months, quit, and--”

“That asshole!” Agron screamed. “I’m going to beat the crap out of him if I ever see--”

“Agron!” Nasir cupped his lover’s face in his hands and turned his head towards him.

Agron took deep, heaving breaths but he ceased fighting his brother as soon as Nasir touched him. His teeth were still bared but at least he wasn’t snarling anymore.

“I can deal with him. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Jesus, you two need to get your own apartment.” Duro released his brother. “Nasir’s right. We can beat the fucker up after Nasir quits.”

Agron ran his hand through his hair, messing up what Nasir carefully worked on in various, sometimes unwholesome ways. Then he turned to Nasir, grabbed Nasir’s shoulder and tilted his chin up. Nasir rose up in time to meet him in a kiss, one that quickly turned heated.

“I’m getting my earplugs,” Duro said before retreating.

“Alright, we’ll deal with this,” Agron said. His breathing had slowed.

“Without beating anyone up.”

“Yeah,” Agron agreed idly and clearly not wholeheartedly. “Come on.”

He guided Nasir to the couch but instead of doing anything Duro must have expected, he wrapped his arms around Nasir. Nasir’s placed his hands on Agron’s and they stayed like that until long after they’d both relaxed.

 

Working with Castus-- because he refused to use the term below Castus-- was hard enough. Nasir didn’t want any more complications. At least he’d given off enough signals for Castus to back off. Slightly.

He wanted to blow off some steam after all of that so during one of his off days, while Agron was working late, he went to the gym. After a few hours there he could feel the burn in his muscles and had managed to work up a sweat. Calling it quits for the day, he wandered back into the locker room to pick up his stuff and change.

And, of course, as soon as he pulled off his shirt, he wasn’t alone.

“Castus.” For once Nasir was the first one to speak instead of letting the other man initiate. But at this point ignoring him was useless.

He saw Castus’s eyes pass over him, lingering on the large, abstract tattoo sprawling across his side and chest and tapering across his stomach.

“That is new. It suits you.”

Scowling, Nasir grabbed his clean shirt and shoved it over his head. He got his arms through the sleeves and pulled hard to cover his torso. Having Castus see that was one of the last things he wanted when it came to this man. It was more personal than that, something that Agron should only fully appreciate.

“Thanks.” His voice was brusque. He grabbed his bag.

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Castus quickly stated.

“You’ve been offending me ever since you called. I never should have talked to you. I have a boyfriend.”

Castus’s easy demeanor changed as he shuffled his legs into a more defensive posture as though he could protect his emotions from the onslaught. “I haven’t been flirting with you. I’m only appreciating that we now--”

“Castus.” Nasir cut him off. “I. Have. A. Boyfriend. He’s great to me and I love him. Whatever you think is happening with us, he only yelled at you because of what you did to me. He’s not the asshole here and if you ever insinuate that he is again...”

“Nasir.” Castus’s expression softened. “I really am sorry about what happened. But I can only apologize so much. Will you ever believe me?”

“At this point, I doubt it.” Nasir took a deep breath. “The terrible part of it, I think you are a good person when you’re not acting like this, but whatever you think might happen, we will never work out. You have to know that.”

“No, because I still love you.”

Nasir let the words hang in the air unanswered. What kind of a reply could he give? The truth would hurt Castus and, while that was tempting, inside it wasn’t something he could do. He could never love Castus again and he would never want to.

“I know that,” he said, telling a different truth instead. “So respect my wishes and let me move on with my life.”

Castus lowered his eyes for a moment. Nasir saw the effort it took for him to regain his composure.

“I will.”

“Then… goodbye, Castus.” Those were the last words he had to give before leaving him behind.

 

By the time Agron came back from work, Nasir had already washed and now he was back to his hobby of old: filling out applications.

“Oh God, Nasir,” Agron said as the door closed behind him. “I would have punched a hole in the wall at work if I weren’t exhausted.”

He came within sight and Nasir looked up. Agron gave him a crooked smile.

“You’ve been playing video games while I’ve been working my ass off?”

“No, I’m applying for jobs.”

“You’re--” Agron’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“Applying for jobs.” Nasir repeated as he turned the laptop for Agron to see. “They’re not great but they’re better than retail.”

Agron took a seat beside him and leaned close. “I thought you were going to stay for a while.”

“And then I decided to make this easier on everyone. I’m giving my two weeks notice on Monday. I think Castus will put in a good word for me, if there’s one thing about him it’s that he doesn’t hold grudges.”

“You think he has a grudge against you?”

Nasir shrugged as he closed his laptop. “No, but I saw him at the gym.” And broke his heart. “He got the message this time.”

“Are you sure?” Agron asked, his own skepticism still loud and clear in both voice and expression. But he got his arm around Nasir’s shoulders.

Nasir leaned into him. “I know him. I’m sure.”

Agron kissed his forehead. “And you are sure about this?”

“Yeah. We’ll just… move into your parents’ house.” There was a certain amount of distaste in Nasir’s voice at the prospect but Agron laughed.

“It won’t be that bad. I promise.”

 

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Nasir spoke as he approached Agron’s house-- his parent’s house. Now the place they were going to stay.

“It’s only until we get back on our feet,” Duro said brightly. He seemed to be taking this better than Agron, who now seemed more embarrassed, and Nasir, who was sure Agron’s parents were going to close the door on him the minute they laid eyes on him.

“It won’t be bad.” Agron wrapped his arm around Nasir’s waist. “The bed’s so small I’ll have to spoon you every night.”

“Where are my fucking ear plugs?” Duro muttered.

“That reminds me, we’ll have to be quieter.” Nasir watched as the front door opened in advance of their arrival.

“Yeah, I’ll buy you a gag,” Agron whispered.

Nasir couldn’t resist elbowing him.

A moment later, there were Agron’s parents, most resembling Duro in appearance but with a few of Agron’s features. No backing out of it now.

To his surprise, they greeted him first.

“Hello, Nasir.” Agron’s mother said warmly.

“Hi, thanks for letting me stay with you.” Nasir echoed his previous speeches, having rehearsed this moment countless times.

Agron’s father offered his hand. “Welcome to the family.”

Duro slapped Nasir’s back, Agron grinned, and Nasir smiled.

Family, he thought in spite of his anxiety, sounded perfect.


End file.
